Linking language communities and technologists to collaboratively overcome challenges for a linguistically diverse internet

A more linguistically diverse internet is becoming more possible thanks to an emerging movement of language activists leveraging the reach and opportunities provided by the web. New digital content is being produced in indigenous, endangered, or underresourced languages helping a new generation of speakers access information in their mother language. However, before many languages can realize their full potential to be shared online, technical challenges, such as a lack of a keyboard or software compatibility need to be addressed. Collaborations between language communities and developers provide solutions to overcome these obstacles. We’ll hear about experiences where technical solutions were put in place to address community-identified needs. We’ll explore possibilities for scaling these types of collaborations by proposing ways to better understanding the technical needs and how to propose ways developers can get involved in efforts for making a more multilingual internet a reality.